What Is Country Music? ‘It’s Honesty,’ the Sisterhood Band Say

Born of real-life songwriter friends Alyssa Bonagura and Ruby Stewart, the Sisterhood Band are based on real-life connections and honest songwriting. The bandmates agree, that's the foundation of country music: being able to write an honest, relatable song that opens you up to vulnerability and connection.

Below, the Sisterhood Band reflect on what country music means to them.

Ruby Stewart: It's like, you can describe a very simple thing, and go on about it in a song, and it's gonna make sense to someone. I feel like that's what country music is: It's about noticing things that maybe other people don't notice in the world.

Alyssa Bonagura: You know what country music is? It's honesty. It really is just being honest and talking about your life, and baring your soul. When we're vulnerable and we do that, we really connect with people. I think that opens you up to sit in a room with [your co-writers] and just talk about your day.

Like, we were just in [a writing session] with [songwriter and producer] Nathan Chapman the other day, and he was like, "Does anybody have a real story we can write about today? Because we're not gonna make it up if we don't have to."

It's really important to be personal and connect, because this is all about connection. I think that's maybe what makes it a little closer, the [country songwriting] community: You leave as friends. You go home and you're like, "I made a new friend today!"